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Friday, January 26, 2018

It's Not an Exaggeration, It's Real!

The threat to 4Culture’s
independence and effectiveness in the community is real and immediate!
Thanks to all the advocates for culture that have been contacting their
councilmembers and asking them to oppose Ordinance #2018-0086. Councilmember Dave
Upthegrove is spending a lot of time on Facebook today soft-selling the
proposed takeover of 4Culture.

Here are the facts

While the ordinance prevents council from amending the budget, in fact they can withhold funds, stopping the vital flow of grant funding to artists, heritage, preservation, and arts organizations throughout the county

Budget approval by the council empowers individual members to hold community grant funds hostage until they see specific line items in the budget they like – something council cannot do today

Council is not required to consult with anyone in order to appoint a majority of 4Culture’s board

Council can hire and fire the Executive Director at will, which is unprecedented… not for any other division in the county government does the council have the power to dismiss a director

If councilmembers truly want to work with 4Culture and "ensure the big picture direction of the agency," did they contact 4Culture board, leadership and community members to seek input in the drafting of the ordinance?

How oversight works now

According to the 4Culture website, three councilmembers sit on the 4Culture board currently, allowing for opportunities for information sharing and council oversight